New John Lennon Stamp to Debut in September

The Beatles once covered the song “Please, Mr. Postman,” by The Marvelettes, and now John Lennon will be immortalized forever by the United State Postal Service.

The new stamp will be unveiled Sept. 7 at the Namburg Bandshell in New York City’s Central Park. The event will be officiated by U.S. Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan. The stamp sheet–designed like a 45-rpm single– features 16 postage stamps, including a famous photo of the former Beatles star taken by renowned photographer Bob Gruen for the cover of John’s 1974 solo album Walls and Bridges. The reverse side of the sheet will include a photo taken by Peter Fordham of Lennon sitting at his white piano, which was used to promote the rock icon’s classic 1971 album, Imagine.

The front of the sheet also includes text about Lennon’s life and career achievements. It reads: “The creative genius behind songs like ‘All You Need Is Love,’ ‘Strawberry Fields Forever,’ ‘Imagine’ and ‘Jealous Guy,’ John Lennon (1940-1980) was one of the first rock musicians to sing about not only humanitarian causes but also his own deeply felt experiences and insecurities. Still an anchor of pop radio, Lennon’s music remains beloved around the world, continuing to speak for truth, peace and tolerance.”

The stamp is the latest offering of the Postal Service’s Music Icon series.